Russia Airline Signs Airbus Lease,
Snubbing Local Aviation Industry

MOSCOW -- OAO Sibir, Russia's second-biggest airline, plans to lease two Airbus jets, marking its first acquisition of Western planes and a blow to Russia's ailing domestic-aviation industry.

Buoyed by a big increase in passenger traffic over the past two years, Russia's regional airlines badly need new aircraft to replace their aging Soviet-era fleets. Most would prefer to buy cheaper home-grown Tupolevs and Ilyushins, but complain...